Wrapper providing separable envelopes



Dec. 24, 1963 R. c. NASH WRAPPER PROVIDING SEPARABLE ENVELOPES 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 3. 1961 FIG.2-

FIG?) INVEN TOR.

RALPH C. NASH ATTOR NEY Dec. 24, 1963 R. c. NASH 7 3,115,295,

WRAPPER PROVIDING SEPARABLE ENVELOPES Filed May 3, 1961 v 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 9

INVENTOR.

- RALPH c. NASH as BY FIG.8 W

AITOBQQY Dec. 24, 1963 R. c. NASH 3,115,295

WRAPPER PROVIDING SEPARABLE ENVELOPES Filed May 3, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. I0

FIG.|2

INVENTOR.

RALPH C. NASH ATTORNEY 3,115,295 WRAPPER PROVIDING SEPARABLE ENVELOPEE; Ralph C. Nash, 61 Manchester St, Nashua, NH. Filed May 3, 1961, Ser. No. 107,881 3 Claims. (Cl. 229-87) The present invention relates to Wrappers that make available separable envelopes or containers and is a continuation-in-part of my co-pending application Serial No. 92,971, filed March 2, 1961 and now abandoned.

While wrappers in accordance with the invention are adapted for a Wide range of other uses, the invention is herein discussed with particular reference to bread wrappers made in accordance therewith.

Bread is wrapped at the bakery in order to keep it clean and fresh as long as possible. Wrappers are made of various sheet materials and these consist of a sealed outer Wrapper providing an air-tight package and, usually, an inner sleeve-like wrapper which serves to impart strength to the packaged bread. As the interior of the outer Wrapper is clean, the outer wrappers are commonly used to wrap other articles of food therein with the most cornmon example being sandwiches made from the bread which the wrapper originally protected.

The primary objective of this invention is to provide an outer wrapper that is of increased utility to the consumer in its re-use in packaging. This objective, in the illustrative case of a bread wrapper, is attained by providing a wrapper comprising two wrapper layers laminated by linear seals so that the wrapper has a plurality of open-ended, interconnected but separable envelopes each of a size to contain a sandwich.

Other important objectives of the invention are to provide for the seals to so stiffen the wrapper that the inner sleeve-like wrapper may be dispensed with and with the seals also enabling the end labels to be easier to pull free and the ends of the wrapper to be easier to open.

In the accompanying drawings, there are shown illustrative embodiments of the invention from which these and other of its objectives, novel features, and advantages will be readily apparent.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a wrapped loaf of bread;

FIG. 2 is a top, perspective view of the wrapper removed and laid flat;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, cross section through one of the seals;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the wrapper with one of the pockets partially separated therefrom;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a pocket having an indicated sandwich packaged therein;

FIG. 6 is a cross section taken through the wrapped bread;

FIG. 7 is a top plan View of another wrapper in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 8 is an end view of a loaf of bread sealed in the wrapper shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary vertical edge view of the sealed wrapper end showing the end label and its engagement with a laminating seal;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary plan view of another wrapper in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 11 is a like view of a wrapper formed with a series of dispensing containers illustrating another embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 12 is a like view of a wrapper whose containers are of a different shape.

A wrapper in accordance with the invention is generally indicated at 10, in FIGS. l6, and is conventionally dimensioned to be conventionally wrapped around a loaf of bread 11 and sealed.

The wrapper 10 comprises an inner sheet 12 and an 3,115,295 Patented Dec. 24, 1963 outer sheet 13 sealed together by a linear seal 14 extending centrally between one set of opposite edges of the wrapper and a series of transverse linear seals 15 extending between the other set of opposite edges of the wrapper to form two series of oppositely opening, interconnected envelopes 16. The envelopes 16 may be provided with advertising inserts as the wrapper is being laminated.

The sheets 12 and 13 may be of any material that is suitably air-tight and they may be opaque, translucent or combinations thereof. The linear seals may be formed by adhesives or by heat, including dielectric sealing, depending on the sheet materials used and the techniques most desirable in production. Polyethylene, polypropylene, cellophane, wax paper, and foil are examples of flexible packaging materials that can be used.

While the linear seals may be relatively wide so that the envelopes may be easily cut apart or they may be provided with tear lines, the seals may be formed by providing that each linear seal is, in fact, a double seal as indicated in the drawings.

It is preferred that the inner sheet 12 be slightly shorter than the outer sheet 13 thus to provide marginal stock 17 that provides flaps for the envelopes, each of which is shown as dimensioned to contain a sandwich 18.

In FIGS. 7-9, a wrapper generally indicated at 19, is shown as comprising an inner sheet 20 and an outer sheet 21 joined together by a pair of seals 22 extending centrally between one set of opposite edges of the wrapper and spaced apart to define an intermediate narrow severance zone 23, end seals 24-, disposed at night angles to the seals 22, and a pair of intermediate seals 25 spaced apart to define an intermediate, narrow severance zone 26. The seals thus define two series :of oppositely opening envelopes 27, and it will be noted that the seals 22, 24, and 25 are relatively wide and knurled and thus rendered relatively stiff as compared with the rather flimsy nature of the stock that is used. It is preferred that the marginally exposed edges of the sheet 21 be similarly stiffened as indicated at 28.

The wrapper 19 is sufficiently rigid, when applied to a loaf of bread 29, to enable any inner sleeve-like wrapper to be dispensed with and, in addition, the reinforcement afforded by the knurling establishes, at the ends of the Wrapped bread, roughness so that the end label may be easily pulled from the wrapper and the wrapper readily opened without being torn.

The wrapper, generally indicated at 31 in FIG. 10; is generally similar except that its envelope defining seal consists of a central seal 32 of the relatively wide and stiffening knurled type and is spaced from parallel and narrow linear seals 33 to define zones of severance indicated at 34-.

The wrapper, generally indicated at 35 in FIG. 11, is primarily intended for use in packaging such a material as a liquid, a powder, or a flake-like material when measured amounts are to be used. For that reason, the wrapper 35 consists of an outer sheet 36 and two inner sheets 37 arranged with [their proximate edges parallel and spaced slightly apart. The two inner sheets 37 are joined to the outer sheet 36 by a pair of transverse seals 38 spaced to provide a zone of severance at 39 and two series of U-sl'raped, double linear seals 40- spaced to provide a zone of severance at 41.

By this arrangement, two series of pockets or containers 42 are provided which may be freed from the wrapper and used in dispensing the package contents. The wrapper, generally indicated at 43 in FIG. 12, is similar except that its pockets or containers 44 are V-sh-aped.

I claim:

1. A wrapper for a loaf of bread, said wrapper comprising an inner layer and an outer layer, both layers being of the same Width, the inner layer being shorter than the outer layer, and linear, laminating seals joining said layers with their side edges in registry and with 630111 end edge of the inner layer short of the appropriate one of the end edges of the outer layer, one seal extending between said side edges and the other seals being in the form of lines extending between the end edges of said layers and intersecting said first named seal and establishing therewith two series of envelopes, the envelopes of each series opening towards a respective one of said end edges, and the portions of said outer layer that extend beyond the ends of the inner layer constituting closure flaps, one for each envelope.

2. A wrapper for a loaf of bread, said wrapper comprising an inner layer and an outer layer, both layers being of the same width, the inner layer being shorter than the outer layer, and linear, laminating seals joining said layers with their side edges in registry and with each end edge of the inner layer short of the appropriate one of the end edges of the outer layer, one seal extending between said side edges and the other seals being in the form of lines extending between the end edges of said layers and intersecting said first named seal and establishing therewith two series of envelopes, the envelopes of each series opening towards a respective one of said end edges, and the portions of said outer layer that extend beyond the ends of the inner layer constituting closure flaps, one for each envelope, said portions being stiffened. y

3. A wrapper for a loaf of bread, said wrapper comprising an inner layer and an outer layer, both layers being of the same width, the inner layer being shorter than the outer layer, and linear, laminating seals joining said layers with their side edges in registry and with each end edge of the inner layer short of the appropriate one of the end edges of the outer layer, one seal extending between said side edges and the other seals being in the form of lines extending between the end edges of said layers and intersecting said first named seal and establishing therewith two series of envelopes, the envelopes of each series opening towards a respective one of said end edges, and the portions of said outer layer that extend beyond the ends of the inner layer constituting closure flaps, one 'for each envelope, said portions overlapping and being sealed together when the wrapper is applied to a loaf.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,007,9'18 Chambers Nov. 7, 1911 1,717,900 Swim June 18, 1929 2,245,738 Taylor June 17, 1941 2,444,685 Waters July 6, 1948 2,805,814 Calasibetta et al. Sept. 10, 1957 2,873,566 Sylvester et a1 Feb. 17, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,062,944 France Dec. 9, 1953 

1. A WRAPPER FOR A LOAF OF BREAD, SAID WRAPPER COMPRISING AN INNER LAYER AND AN OUTER LAYER, BOTH LAYERS BEING OF THE SAME WIDTH, THE INNER LAYER BEING SHORTER THAN THE OUTER LAYER, AND LINEAR, LAMINATING SEALS JOINING SAID LAYERS WITH THEIR SIDE EDGES IN REGISTRY AND WITH EACH END EDGE OF THE INNER LAYER SHORT OF THE APPROPRIATE ONE OF THE END EDGES OF THE OUTER LAYER, ONE SEAL EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID SIDE EDGES AND THE OTHER SEALS BEING IN THE FORM OF LINES EXTENDING BETWEEN THE END EDGES OF SAID LAYERS AND INTERSECTING SAID FIRST NAMED SEAL AND ESTABLISHING THEREWITH TWO SERIES OF ENVELOPES, THE ENVELOPES OF EACH SERIES OPENING TOWARDS A RESPECTIVE ONE OF SAID END EDGES, AND THE PORTIONS OF SAID OUTER LAYER THAT EXTEND BEYOND THE ENDS OF THE INNER LAYER CONSTITUTING CLOSURE FLAPS, ONE FOR EACH ENVELOPE. 